


I Never Said I'd Leave The City

by SkipTheSpinningRims



Series: Uncharted Zombie Apocalypse AU [1]
Category: Uncharted
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Blood, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 11:32:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16764304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkipTheSpinningRims/pseuds/SkipTheSpinningRims
Summary: Nathan doesn’t consider himself to be religious, despite living with the nuns since he was a small child. However, even he can’t help but promise to be the most devout Catholic ever- if he makes it out of this.//Mild Gore//





	I Never Said I'd Leave The City

**Author's Note:**

> I stole the clicking zombie from The Last Of Us, but you don't need to know anything about the series to read this.

Nathan doesn’t consider himself to be religious, despite living with the nuns since he was a small child. However, even he can’t help but promise to be the most devout Catholic ever- if he makes it out of this.

The sky is black, but the city is wide awake, dark silhouettes fighting for dominance over amber fire. The ground shakes even here.

He clings to the bed frame, ignoring the slight sobs being made by the boy in the next bed over. He blocks it out every other night, so why can’t he do it now?

He worries about Sam, who’s probably getting swept up in all the chaos happening just a few miles away.

_No, Nate, don’t think like that._

Sam’s probably taking advantage of the situation, using it to nick some valuables here and there while everyone else is distracted.

The sobbing next to him eventually ceases, leaving the room quiet. Not silent, Nate has never known silence here, but quiet enough for him to sleep, at least.

x-x

He wakes up to someone's frantic knocking at the window, and sure enough, it’s Sam’s panicked face that greets him.

Sam’s beckoning for him to climb out and join him, but he can’t. The nuns have grown wise to his regular sneaking out and lock the windows, taking the keys with them.

Then suddenly Sam’s shouting at him to move, only slightly muffled by the window. Everyone else who managed to sleep is stirring now, some glaring about having their sleep disturbed, seemingly oblivious to what’s happening outside.

Nathan obliges and takes a few steps back, and Sam swings his torch into the window. Once. Twice. Spraying glass all over Nathan’s bed in the process. Sam steps inside, not fully into the room, but rather perching on the windowsill and hands him a bag.

It’s new, the labels are still attached, and Nathan can see some wear, he guesses that Sam had to savage it to take the security tag off. Nathan pulls a box out from under his bed, he can tell from the urgency on Sam’s face that they haven’t got time to waste, Sam turning up at his window rather than using a torch to signal Nate from a few rooftops away was a big sign.

He grabs as much as he can from the box and shoves it into the bag, before moving to his draws and shoving some clothes in as an afterthought. He doesn’t know how long they’ll be, but judging from Sam’s lack of a grin and the absence of laughter it could be a while.

He looks to Sam who nods, and they both climb out of the window, shutting it behind them. Nate meets eyes with one of the kids in there, a certified ass hole in Nate’s eyes. He salutes, and the boy glares.

At least he got to make a pretty cool exit, kind of.

Sam’s already halfway across the roof, “Come on Nate! We don’t have much time!”

Nathan shrugs it off, “What’s got you in such a mood.”

Nate doesn’t get it, he knows Sam has no particular aversion to fire, and the whole city up in smoke just gives them more opportunities to sneak in and steal what they want without anyone noticing.

Sam doesn’t respond, shushing him as he jumps down to a lower roof. Then Nathan hears it.

A low growling, the kind that comes from the very back of the throat, deep and threatening.

Nathan leans over the edge of the roof before scrambling back.

“What the he-”

Sam claps a hand over his mouth, not wanting to draw the attention to them.

“I don’t know, okay? They can’t see us from this angle but you have to be quiet, okay?”

He nods, swallowing bile because whatever it is that’s moaning down there smells absolutely vile. He’s had potato salad that tastes better than that smells.

Which is saying something, because Nate really- and I mean really- hates potato salad.

Nate stays silent until they’re a few rooftops away, Sam’s in a bad mood tonight.

Sam’s also much faster than he usually is, scrambling to get out, going for speed rather than precision and accuracy; his usual speciality. Nate almost struggles to keep up, his smaller stature struggling to make jumps that Sam lands with ease.

He feels somewhat inadequate but brushes it off. Sam’s clearly not messing around tonight, and he can sense the slight irritation coming off him whenever Nate needs another boost or a hand over a gap.

Eventually, they make it to the edge of the orphanage’s property, and as per usual Sam hands him the rope. He gets ready to swing, not wanting to look down because he knows his resolve will crumble if he catches a glimpse of the brick wall below, topped with shards of glass.

He’s about to take a deep breath and leap when they hear it, and Sam grabs his shoulder to stop him.

“Wait.” Sam’s breathing down his neck, breath warm against his cold skin.

The noise gets louder, at first Nate could have mistaken it for someone cracking their knuckles, but it’s still going. It reminds him of a train clacking along rickety tracks. Except Nate’s pretty sure it’s in the street below them.

Sam pushes him flat against the wall, and Nate can feel the crevices of the brick against his back, through his thin pyjama shirt.

And then he sees it.

It wanders into the light, dragging one mauled, mangled leg behind it. It’s wearing a nightgown, ripped at the seams and splattered with a maroon substance that Nate has to assume is blood.

There’s something in place of its head, a growth, maybe? But it’s definitely the source of the clicking noise. Sam swears under his breath; he’s dealt with far too much to process in one night.

They’re not sure what to do, Sam wonders if maybe he can take out the street lamp to buy them some time. But then it clicks.

He and Nate are pretty well hidden, but they’re definitely not concealed from the thing’s line of vision. And it’s definitely scanning the place.

But with what eyes?

Sam’s still not sure, and Nate is definitely picking up on his confusion.

From the looks of it, this thing can’t see them. But Sam can’t take risks when Nate’s with him. Sam’s odds are much higher than Nate’s when it comes to getting out of this alive.

And then they hear something else.

A bark. A dog.

It’s pottering about the street, digging its nose through black trash bags. It’s clearly malnourished.

As soon as the dog starts making noise it’s as good as dead. The thing’s head immediately snaps to focus on the dog, pouncing on it in seconds.

And Sam hates to laugh at such a terrible sight but this means they actually have a chance of getting to his bike.

Nate looks horrified as he watches it pull fistfuls of flesh from the dog while it whines in terror, blood spills out onto the tarmac, and the scent reaches them even on their high perch. Copper permeating the air and forcing itself upon their senses.

Nate chokes on the scent, it’s disgusting.

Sam takes a deep breath before throwing the torch, ignoring Nate’s confused look. Normally they work together like clockwork, but tonight they keep faltering, not picking up on cues or hints.

It ricochets off several walls, clanging loudly and sending the zombie hurtling after it into the darkness, interrupted only but the now flickering light produced by the torch.

He shoves the rope into Nate’s shaking hands and practically catapults him off the roof, wincing at the noise when he lands on the fire escape opposite.

He follows quickly, but the zombie’s attention is already on them. They’ll be trapped here if they don’t move, so Sam kicks the ladder until it drops, pushing Nate towards it until he starts scrambling down, dropping the last meter or so to the ground and mounting the bike.

It’s almost there and Nate is practically screaming as Sam kick starts the bike.

The zombie already has its hands on the bike and there’s a sickening crunch when its fingers catch between the wheel and the hubcaps, but Sam just keeps driving and leaves it in the dust.

The wind flies through their hair, and their breathing is heavy.

“Where are we going?” Nate questions, Sam can feel his hands shaking where they dig into his shoulders.

“I don’t know, little brother.” he sighs, “I don’t know.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Tumblr: deceptive--dreaming


End file.
